September Birchbox: Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (And the Giveaway Winner)

First off, let me state that I have never been a huge fan of products aimed at "sensitive skin." Why, you ask? Because it either a) doesn't work as intended or b) disturbs the gentle nature of my skin in some form or fashion.

I'm also not a huge fan of peels because "sensitive" or not, they always leave me feeling dry and itchy and blotchy.

This peel, made by the brand I've come to like, doesn't cut the mustard either.

When Birchbox said this product gave a "mild tingle," I knew I was in trouble. Because honestly, calling it a tingle is putting it very, very lightly. 

Bluntly put, this stuff burns. Maybe it's the fruit-based acids or the length of time it's supposed to be on. But it left my skin raw and aching after only half of the allotted ten minutes. I rinsed it off and my skin still felt hot to the touch and really tender for a good half hour afterwards. 

And maybe it's just my skin, but the next day, I had a couple of breakouts. Nothing major, just some areas on my skin that bubbled up because of the extreme dryness that this peel left my skin with. 

Perhaps this product isn't meant for someone with just sensitive skin. Maybe it's for people who have oily skin as well. Or skin that can handle some "mild tingle." But it's definitely not for me. 

Which is a shame. As much as I enjoy Juice Beauty's products, this one just isn't a winner. 

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And now, for what you've all been waiting for....The winner of the Montagne Jeunesse giveaway is....

Patricia F.! Congrats, Patricia. I've sent the company your contact information and they should be getting in touch with you shortly. 

Thanks, everyone, for your entries. I really loved seeing your comments and getting some love for an awesome brand. 

Thanks for reading!

A little late to the game: A to Z challenge!

This is for the A to Z challenge. I didn't make the original sign up because I'm a little slow on the uptake, a little nervous to try new things, but on of my friends encouraged me, so here we go!

A is for Avocados! 

Wait, what? Isn't this a beauty blog? 

Why, indeed it is. And now...I'm going to share with you the ultimate DIY hair and face masque that has saved me time and time again. 

It's really simple, actually. I discovered it when I was going through my fridge and needed to clear out some stuff. I remembered the beauty benefits of each of the ingredients and thought that they might work well together. And lo and behold, they did!

Mash one avocado with two to three tablespoons honey, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and two egg yolks. 

Mix together until a thick paste is formed. 

Work the mixture into your roots and scalps, then comb through the rest of your hair. If you have really bad split ends, work a little into the tips of your hair to give them a quick boost of nourishment. 

You can also use this as a purifying face mask. Simply smear all over your face, like any good mask, let sit for several minutes, and then rinse with warm water. 

It's as simple as that! 

You see, avocados (in addition to being delicious) are wonderful for your hair and skin. The fatty acids help to soften your skin and bring nourishment to the driest areas. 

Honey is a skin balancer. It is especially useful with combination skin and oily skin, as it can help to even out all of the weird areas you may have. This is important for me, because I have the absolute worst combination skin. Dry and flaky on my cheeks, oily and acne prone on my T zone. 

Lemon juice is an acid. Pretty straight forward. It works as a slight stripping agent to wash away dead skin cells and increase cell turnover rate. That's important for a fresh-faced look. 

And egg yolks, like the avocados, are nourishing and fatty, without being oily. The omegas also help to increase cell turnover rate. 

So there you have it. A little late, but better late than never!